Equity Strategic Plan for 4-H

All Extension Directors and Administrators are invited to attend the next Learning for Leaders, Friday, May 7, 2021, 3-4:00 p.m. ET, to explore the National 4-H Equity Design Team Strategic Planning Report. with their colleagues, 1 per region, listed on page 13 here. The event will reinforce and build upon the collective mindset of these Extension Leaders that establishes short- and long-range goals for system change for diversity, equity, and inclusion at national, state, and local levels.  Portions of the program will be recorded and made available here in the ECOP Monday Minute. 4-H Department faculty and Administrative Leadership Teams are welcome. To register, email Sandy Ruble. 

Brent Hales, Director, Penn 
State Extension

Hales to Liaise with Urban Extension Leaders - Last week at their April Meeting, ECOP affirmed Brent Hales, Penn State, to represent the Cooperative Extension Section with the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) steering committee. Brent has served on ECOP since September 2020. The  steering committee of 17 meets virtually each month to 1) advance the strategic importance and long-term value of urban Extension activities, and 2) to foster collaboration at the local, regional and national levels that create greater capacity within the Cooperative Extension System to serve urban communities. Jason Henderson, Purdue University, served as ECOP Liaison to NUEL 2018-2021, and continues to serve the Section/ECOP as Vice-chair of the Budget & Legislative Committee. 

2021 National Urban Extension Leaders Virtual Summit - NUEL’s 2021 Virtual Summit will be held May 17-20, 2021. The purpose of NUEL is to advocate and advance the strategic importance and long-term value of urban Extension activities by being relevant locally, responsive statewide, and recognized nationally. Register for the Summit here.

$10 Million for Partnerships/Collaborations with Climate Hubs - USDA NIFA will award approximately $10 million in competitive awards (AFRI) to support Cooperative Extension partnerships and collaborations with the USDA Climate Hubs. This program area priority will support projects that provide effective, translatable, and scalable approaches to address climate change through regional partnerships including the USDA Climate Hubs and Extension. This is a new program priority (program is A1721) in the current AFRI Foundational and Applied Science RFA – it is on page 71. The RFA is located here.

Farm of the Future Integrated Research and Extension Competitive Grant Planning - USDA NIFA is seeking input to establish a new Farm of the Future competitive grant program. Section 799 of the FY2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill provided $4,000,000 to NIFA “for a competitive grant to an institution in the land-grant university system to establish a Farm of the Future testbed and demonstration site.” NIFA plans to implement this program by supporting an integrated research and Extension project. At this stage of planning, the agency is seeking expert stakeholders, customers, and partners opinions on how Federal investments can best address current needs and challenges facing farms of the future. Today, there are 2 ways to provide input (see below). Direct general questions to NIFA.FarmOfTheFuture@usda.gov

    -- Register here to attend a virtual stakeholder listening session on
        Thursday, May 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. (CT).
        Each participant who wishes to speak will be unmuted for up to
        3 minutes. 

    -- Submit written comments (2-page limit) to:
        FarmoftheFuture@USDA.gov by May 6, 2021.